How and when did your particular air gun collecting bug actually bite.

[MattyBoy]

Mitchell 300's mmmmm. now me n you really have some catching up to do !

jOHN.

I have a lovely little Mitchel 308 Prince which I still use

Matty

[Grayling]

I got back into Pike fishing last year after a 40 year break mate...I'll tell you a funny story when we next meet...All my kit was off the bay, a nice 300 with 3 spools in a bag for £15 odd quid, and a cracking (unused looking) Lee of Redditch 9'6" fibreglass spinner with safety twist ferrule, all agate rings and champagne anodizing for not much more...I use old re-hooked snapdragon plugs and vintage spoons and Colorados, and last time out got some sniggers from the multi-rod carbon youngsters...as I did in the shop when I asked what the hell a "jerkbait" was

I caught an 8 pound Pike in front of them, and you should have seen their faces

It's a bit like shooting old guns, or maybe I am just awkward (or believe that fish don't worry if you have spent a grand on tackle as long as you stick something in front of them that looks edible).

Sorry to wander off topic........most unlike me!

ATB, Ed

The amount of older guys who stop for a gab when they see one of my Mitchells is amazing Ed (I rotate these like you do your rifles). But like you I do get sniggers when seen out with my old style tackle. Most are surprised when they find I use them on purpose in favour of the newer Shimano baitrunner types and actually enjoy using them . They are even more surprised when they find out I collect and renovate them too AND HAVE OVER 40 . Mitchells seem to peak and trough price wise and are really cheap at the moment. I love using these old reels, just like I love using vintage BSA's even my centrepin reel for long trotting is an ancient Trudex of 1950s vintage. I love stripping and rebuilding them both too. Although my rods are purpose built, long and very ''tippy'' to middle in action as most of my fishing is fast moving rivers or large glacial mountain lakes. Couldn't give a toss what the younger ones think Ed most I've met are all the gear no idea anyway .

[Grayling]

Say na more on here, I'll catch up on the 15th June !

John.

Looking forward to it John .

[Grayling]

http://s1291.beta.photobucket.com/us...tml?sort=3&o=2

sorry.. here it is....

Oh that is nice, VERY VERY NICE, always wanted one back in the day, just couldn't afford an RS2000 bloody expensive then, even more so now. I had an all black 1976 (P registered) 1600 Ghia MK2 with twin choke webbers and Janspeed exhaust. I did manage the RS alloys on mine though, eventually.

[Grayling]

I have a lovely little Mitchel 308 Prince which I still use

Matty

They really are gorgeous little reels MaTThew, use mine for legering/swimfeeder fishing. I also have the skirted spool and VERY rare version in a graphite colour the 908. These smaller Mitchells of both types are much scarcer than their bigger cousins in the 300/400 series.

As Wotswot said in an earlier post we really all are a very similar bunch on here.

[sharlotendo]

I started with the old gat and webley pistols.We used to divide up in to teams, British and germans, then shoot at each other,the rule was, dont shoot at heads.But the day "Sweetie" got a .177 between the eyes we stopped, swearing he was ok we thought it would be wiser to stick to tin cans etc. He was combing his hair three months later and the pellet sort of popped out. We were aghast at how shiny it was.
These were more casual days when you could walk down the main street with a rifle over the shoulder and no one would worry.Now days a swat team would arrive, before you had time to roll an old holborn ciggy.The farmers were ok about knocking off rabbits if you asked them.When i could afford it i bought a mk1 meteor .22..then a Airsporter. I could light a red topped match at twenty yards with the Meteor.But the Airsporter seemed a nicer looking rifle and had all the acolades but i couldnt understand why the meteor was more accurate and seemed to have the same power....You could drop a rabbit at 75 yards with the airsporter, but the meteor was passe...
Fast forward fifty years and i find the meteor and airsporter spring are the same,..same power plant, the meteor isnt as sexy but, its lighter nice and simple to work on, and in my humble opinion, one of the best designs. If its in good order i reckon its as good as the Airsporter. I have the suspicion that the forman at the factory was told to detune them as it would slow airsporter sales..or something like that.

[red bob]

o no, now i want to go back on my fishing nostalgia trips to and dont talk about fishing reels,here i go again.

[fat man]

For me 2005, after a near 22 year break. My Partner diead with cancer in 2000, I was left to bring up our baby son and I nedded something to give me some hobby to help with stress. Dusted of some of my old springers and found a local club,. Word of mouth lead me to bbs and other related forums and a good hobby and some good friends.

[MattyBoy]

As Wotswot said in an earlier post we really all are a very similar bunch on here.

In which case GaRy; can we discuss YOUR Shandy drinking habits?

MaTTy

[Chippendale]

Started with air guns in the very early fities 51 o52 I think, It was either a Big Chief or Indian Chief, then after a couple of years it was a Diana 15 followed by the Diana 16 then Diana 22. the next gun was the Cadet followed by the Major and then in my opinion the nonpareil Airsporter MK 1. The Major was sold to a fellow apprentice, He was wanting an air rifle so we went for a walk on the Aire & Calder with the two guns and said he could take his pick which ever he fancied. After the five mile walk up the canal he plumped for the lighter Major, It was a minter, he got the damn thing for four quid but in those days that was his weekly wage. Then I'm afraid for me it was girls, more girls and then beer.

Marriage brought two boys and when they were old enough I got out the Airsporter bought the eldest a second hand Meteor and did some plinking in the garden and on a local farm. The guns were stolen from my shed, which I hasten to add was my fault really as the shed was never locked.

Many years later, in fact just two years ago I was with my eldest son in a gunsmiths he was trying to get some measurements of some PcPs so that he could make some shrouds that I asked the proprieter if he had a Cadet or Major in his stock. He promptly lifted his arms above his head and from an out of sight rack produced a Cadet, I let my heart rule my head and bought it. It was varnished and painted black. That's when the collecting bug started, since then I have acquired Airsporters MKI, MKII, MKII MKVI and an RB2 Stutzen, BSA Supers Star in 22, a shite condition Webley Hawk, A HW97K in 177, I have had a damaged Cadet Major given along with a HW 35 both in poor condition but working, a Mercury in 22 and Cometa and two Meteors in 22.

The wife wants to know why I want two guns when I can only shoot one at a time, I don't know what to say.

See you all at Melbourne, me and the lad are booked in at the Premier.

Mel

[haloutdoors]

I got my first Gat gun when I was 14 unbeknown to my parents I bought it from a lad at school. I cringe when I think back to the thing we used to get upto with that pistol my love of all things gun related started before I can remember so my mum tells me anything I could hold in a similar fashion would see me running round the house shouting BANG BANG at anything in my way. But both my parents steadfastly refused to allow me any type of air gun. So I rebelled and got them anyway it is only now at the ripe age of 32 that they know how many guns I had before I bought my first air rifle a Webley Vulcan with my first wage packet when I was 16 which I still own. I went off shooting shortly after that untill a few years later my best friend from school started shooting and rekindles my interest. I am now up to nine guns from a Webley Tempest from 83 no box unfortunately, to a 223 centerfire. I used to try and justifie ever new rifle purchase to myself with the notion that each new gun had a perticular job and it was only the other day whilst reading a similar thred about rifle collectors that I thought " that's me!" So now it has come to pass I have embraced the collector in me and I'm no longer kidding myself about the need for another gun. I just say to myself " screw it. I WANT it," and ill save to make it happen. The only thing now is I need a bigger safe. Oh we'll that's my story. All the best. Hal

[Blackrider]

What I was going to say is;

Cant wait for John's (Johnbaz) addative !

Mmmmm............

John.

John Mate, where are you ??

John.

[Grayling]

In which case GaRy; can we discuss YOUR Shandy drinking habits?

MaTTy

Excuse me MaTThew please get it right, you are the SHANDY DRINKING SOUTHERN SOFTY I'm a LESBIAN and Tia Maria is my tipple of choice .

[laverdabru]

Probably since visiting this site! Like many people on here, I'm 50ish, & quite into machinery/engineering. Nowadays, the old motorbikes, British, European & Japanese, I used to tinker with are way beyond my financial limits. And in some cases, my physical ones. But I can pick up a nice airgun for anything from free to well under £200. fettle it in my front room rather than a drafty garage, & keep it in the spare room. Since we downsized from a semi to a small bungalow, & I had to give up my large fish tank, my airgun addiction is tolerated by my better half.

[wmp50075]

my air gun bug bit proper when my first weeks wages turned out to be not much more than my pocket money.
now my pocket money is about the same as my first weeks wages!
andyL